Longest Night Homeless Persons' Memorial Service

This year’s Longest Night Homeless Persons Memorial Service will be held on Tuesday December 21st. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic we will only be gathering outdoors this year. We will gather at 3:00 p.m. on the Capitol Square at the intersection of East Main, South Pinckney Street and King Street. We will hold a brief outdoor service and then proceed around the Capitol led by a horse drawn hearse.

Our gathering place is near the bench where 38-year-old Dwayne Warren’s body was found on June 16th, 2009. Dwayne was experiencing homelessness, he died of sepsis, a blood infection that could have been treated with a simple antibiotic prescription. Dwayne’s death helped bring the community together to create this annual event. We thank First Congregational UCC , First United Methodist Church, Lakeview Lutheran Church, and the Osterhaus Family for their continued collaboration.

We are asking for donations of warm socks, long underwear, scarves, gloves, and hats. Donations can be dropped at First Congregational United Church of Christ at 1609 University Ave. Madison. Please enter through the rear door off of the parking lot. The church doors are open during the day as the daycare in the building is open. Individuals entering must wear a mask.

Each year we like to create memorial cards for each of the individuals remembered at the event, and for those who may have passed and been remembered in previous years. If you have someone you would like us to remember during this event, please provide us with a little information about the person, their gifts, interests, qualities you admired, anything you would like to share by filling out the attached google form.  https://forms.gle/E2hGMT9WX14ogz5s7